The crybabies over at American Backyard Forum

Have objected to me sharing information that I found on their forum. So to respect their wishes, I pulled the pic and link. I promise I will never sully their board with my presence, nor will I ever point you toward their site evr again.

I'll see if I can't find information on the new Smith & Wesson M&P pistol elsewhere and share it with you here.

I wonder why they think it will be better than their SW99?

Another failed design.  There are just too many new polymer pistols being introduce to the market, and none of them significantly improve upon existing, well established designs.

I dunno. I'd like to get my hands on one, or even see it in production, before I condemn the thing.

Why do I have this sinking feeling...that the Strategic Partnership, is about to come to an end...and the 99 series is about to go the way of the dinosaur.

Guess I better hold on to my 99/.40 AS...it's lible to be a collectors item sooner than I thought...and the OL's to.

Still...this new piece of Smith tupperware does not look to bad...If they'd put a decent trigger in the damned thing...I'd like to see more pic's , but could not get the link to work.

Here are the large versions of both picks from the article.

WOW...more Tactical Tupperwear.

Am I the only one who thinks the grip looks like a Steyr?

Not hot for the grip, but I like the scallops.

Quoted: but I like the scallops.

Copied from their 1911, it looks like?

After looking at the pic some more, I have some q's and a few thoughts.  It doesn't look like you can change backstraps, and I don't like the design it has.  I still like the scallops, but I don't remember if they came from their 1911.  Is the "Glock slide release" the safety?  Or is it just the slide release?  Whats the red dot under the ?take down lever??  Loaded chamber indicator?  I see what looks like a lock at the rear of the pistol, if it is, don't like that.  Don't like the mag base.  Prefer metal, but it may be built well.  Overall design is pretty, though.  I like the Sig-like slide, the scallops, the cuts at the front of the slide, and that the front sight is dovetailed also.  All black stainless is nice too.  Hmm... looks like a "trigger safety", not sure on that, little pins in plastic worry me...  Ok, rambling off.

Well it's ugly, that's for sure.

The replaceable, changeable grips on the 99 was a nice feature. Course it's just me, but I'm not hot for the rails on on the pistols these days, ruins the lines.

The front would look better squared off up front, maybe with some gentle rounding around the edges.

The scallops are OK, don't mind the slightly recessed slide, dove tail sights are a good thing, Novaks are winners.

Trigger looks a little funny but I'll withhold condemnation until after I try it.  Looks like slide release levers only, must be a DAO pistol. Specially since I'd take the M&P to mean Military and Police, aka no single action pistola for you!

+1 on the call that it resembles the Steyr.

It's going to be tough to top 1)glock 2)XD 3)HK. But I'll give'em credit for continuing to bang away at it.

Let's see 1)Sigma (aka SWock) 2)p99 (Walther) now 3)mp. Mebbe third times the charm?

I don't like the fish scales, but that is just my taste. Hopefully, they will produce 2 versions. One with and one without the rail.

What I see is a no frills, all function pistol worthy of the name M&P. I would like to see S&W come up with a better trigger safety than what they have. That is the same one that was on the Sigma.

I like the XD grip safety, and I think it would work with this gun....in an asthetic sense, at least.

So what's the word on this thing as far as price and release date?  I'd like to go check one out.

Cheers

Cheers

Hmm.  Tag.

Quoted:  Is the "Glock slide release" the safety?  Or is it just the slide release?  Whats the red dot under the ?take down lever??  Loaded chamber indicator?  I see what looks like a lock at the rear of the pistol, if it is, don't like that.

It looks very heavily based on Glocks and XD. It appears to only be a slide release if stays traditional to striker fired pistols, as there is no external manual safety. Yes that looks like it is a take down lever like the XD's. That looks like a pin, maybe it uses removeable frame rails like the XD? But, to me anyway,it looks like a pin that is missing finish and has rusted but I could be wrong. Normally loaded chamber indicators are on top of the slide.

I hope S&W pulls it off, I like the scallops on the slide, adds some character to it. The grip does look a little funny, maybe add fingergrooves and removeable backstraps? All in all if it was a reliable and depending on what the finished product looked like, I'd buy one.  Also, I wonder why it has a ambi slide release but not ambi mag release? Strange thing there, figured they would ambi mag release also. I don't like the locks either, but they are easily avoided or forgotten if you do not like them, just do not lock it and don't use it at all and you'll never know its there.

I like my SW99 but not the Sigmas.  I'll have to keep my eye on this one.

Quoted: Am I the only one who thinks the grip looks like a Steyr?

Im with you on that one.

Looks like a cross between a Sigma and the new FN (the model number escapes me at the moment).  I suspect this may be the Sigma Mark II.  The trigger is clearly Sigma.  Which may not be a bad thing, we will just have to wait and see.

I think the "red dot under the takedown lever" is actually a rollpin and you are seeing the guys hand through the pin.

I got the following information from a Smith Rep in June.  They were not showing it yet and were guarded on the info they were releasing:

I was given the following description (bear in mind this is preliminary info and may change at Smith's will): *New Pistol, Old name. It will be a "Historical Smith and Wesson name" *Polymer frame, Carbon Steel slide *Novak Night Sights standard *1911 grip angle *Initial offering in .40S&W, 9mm, .45ACP and .357Sig to follow *Reversable mag release *Ambi Slide Stop, one on either side *No need to pull trigger to disassemble, will have lever ala Sig *Striker fired *LOW Bore Axis *"New" system, no SA, DA, DAO or "Safe Action". No idea what this means

John Hollister

*Polymer frame, Carbon Steel slide.

If it's a Carbon steel slide. Why does it say "STAINLESS" on the other side of the slide? S&W already has the infrastucture in place to produce finely milled stainless slides for the late model Sigma's and 99's. Why would they change to Carbon Steel?

I suspect the M&P pictured uses the same grade of stainless covered with Burlingtons Melonite process (American Tennifer) as the 99 slide did and is probably milled on the same machine.

Well, I'll reserve my judgement until I can get a look at this pistol first hand.  I did speak with a Smith & Wesson Rep a few weeks ago about this pistol.  IIRC, He said it would have a new type trigger, be able to be disassemble without pulling the trigger, have interchangable/adjustable palm swells, a lower sight line, and a few other things that I don't remember.

He also added that they wanted to be sure they got as many of the bugs out of this as possible before bringing it to market.  I guess that the earlier experience with the Sigma was an expensive lesson learned.  I hope that it is a good pistol and they are able to find a place in the market with it.

I think the trigger pull is spec'd to be about 6.5 lbs.  It is on their website.
M&P 40

Well I understand the why most will be skeptical S&W hasn't really set the world on fire in resent history but .... for what I have read this pistol comes with a new game plan.  I have read that S&W has the man who left glock running there tranning program; he is now running there LE/Gov sales and the guy who used to work for colt's overseas sales is now running there overseas sales and has all ready working with congressmen to lossen up sales to other countrys that smith as been restricted to prior I know that they have managed to sell the Iraqi national gard sigmas with is a step in the right direction .

As far as the pistols goes I think smith has cast aside a few things that have hurt them in the past for one the rail is a standard (picatinny type) so it  won't turn off some buysers that have a M3/6 or Sure Fire wepon light that will fit the glock-sig-beratta's; it is more versitile then the glock that if offers multiple grips to fit diffrent hands (very inportant to LE customers) and can be configured to have a mag disconect (a personal fav of mine). It also has a weapon lock on it that will allow it to be sold in states haveing that "safety reqirement".  

I have also read that the pistol has a stanless cassy inside the frame that is said to make it more rigid and stronger I haven't seen it so I don't know is its on the inside or in the frame; but any way I think its a pistol that has been more thought out then the last two S&W poly pistols both being after thoughts of other pistols not to say they are bad but not what they are capeable of turning out.

But with all things you can't alway belive every thing you read so I will throw that disclamer in now but I am eager to get my hands on one a feel it and I like what I have seen of it I am considering one of myslef but I will wait to see

Something that popped into my head as I was reading this was whether this would would be able to swap barrels to go from .40 to .357 such as SIGs are capable of.  Not sure that any of us who aren't with S&W can answer that but if anyone knows a S&W sales rep I'd be interested to hear their answer on that...

Quoted: Well I understand the why most will be skeptical S&W hasn't really set the world on fire in resent history but .... for what I have read this pistol comes with a new game plan.  I have read that S&W has the man who left glock running there tranning program; he is now running there LE/Gov sales and the guy who used to work for colt's overseas sales is now running there overseas sales and has all ready working with congressmen to lossen up sales to other countrys that smith as been restricted to prior I know that they have managed to sell the Iraqi national gard sigmas with is a step in the right direction . As far as the pistols goes I think smith has cast aside a few things that have hurt them in the past for one the rail is a standard (picatinny type) so it  won't turn off some buysers that have a M3/6 or Sure Fire wepon light that will fit the glock-sig-beratta's; it is more versitile then the glock that if offers multiple grips to fit diffrent hands (very inportant to LE customers) and can be configured to have a mag disconect (a personal fav of mine). It also has a weapon lock on it that will allow it to be sold in states haveing that "safety reqirement".   I have also read that the pistol has a stanless cassy inside the frame that is said to make it more rigid and stronger I haven't seen it so I don't know is its on the inside or in the frame; but any way I think its a pistol that has been more thought out then the last two S&W poly pistols both being after thoughts of other pistols not to say they are bad but not what they are capeable of turning out. But with all things you can't alway belive every thing you read so I will throw that disclamer in now but I am eager to get my hands on one a feel it and I like what I have seen of it I am considering one of myslef but I will wait to see

My LE rep dropped by the other day with the M&P40 and I must say that I was very impressed. The guns has an excellent feel and points well. The frame does has an imbedded mettalic rail in the frame to give it strength.

The pistol does not have to have the trigger pulled to field strip. What you do is make safe , lock the slide to the open position and flip down a small little lever just below /nxt to the ejector. easy to do and of course safer.  The only thing I didnt like was that they put a small tool in the back strap of the grip to do this. I dont love that it can move around and get in the way when reloading. My rep said they are looking at poss changing that.

Shot a couple of mags and was really impressed at how smooth and soft it felt. Recoil was equal to most 9mm's.

Overall a nice weapon

Quoted: I wonder why they think it will be better than their SW99?

The SW99 wasn't even SW's design...

It was a licensed copy of a Walther...

Hmmmm.......interesting.

Tag.

Better late than never.

Any idea on price??

.

anyone have any ideas on price???

Hey I just saw an ad for the M&P in American Rifleman, anyone hear anything about this pistol being used yet?

We have a test pistol coming to our agency this month.  Whoever mentioned the possibility of Smith/Wesson doing a gun for gun trade was right, as that has already been mentioned.  I've never considered Smith pistols to be built for combat like some other handguns that are available, but we'll ring this one out before judging it.  

There are three replaceable backstraps of different size.  There have been two different gun mag writeups on it already too.  Last we heard, they were working with Safarliland on a 6004 type duty holster.  Will advise more as we hear it.

VJ